NorthstarMLS MLS Rules Structure and Language Update Effective July 1

The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) and NorthstarMLS announced that NorthstarMLS has become the first multiple listing service (MLS) in the country to adopt the CMLS Model MLS Rules framework to help ensure complete, accurate, and timely real estate listing information. NorthstarMLS’s board approved the new rules model in early April. The transition will streamline and reorganize existing rules into a more intuitive framework while maintaining alignment with current industry requirements.

Created by CMLS for MLSs navigating a fast-changing real estate environment, the Model MLS Rules are designed to offer a modern, flexible framework that supports the MLS role in providing the complete and reliable real estate information consumers expect while giving MLS organizations a practical structure for governance and operations. The framework also improves rule organization and readability, making policies easier for subscribers to navigate and understand.

CMLS developed the Model MLS Rules to help MLSs respond to evolving legal and market conditions and to support future innovation across a range of ownership and governance models. The update largely reorganizes and clarifies existing policy standards within a nationally recognized framework already aligned with current National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) requirements.

“NorthstarMLS’s adoption is an important milestone and a strong example of leadership at a time when MLSs are looking for practical solutions that support both current compliance needs and future industry changes,” said CMLS Chair Nicole Jensen. “CMLS created the Model MLS Rules to give our members clear guidance, proven best practices, and a flexible framework for moving forward with confidence as the market, the industry, and the needs of MLSs continue to evolve.”

“The consistency between the Model MLS Rules and the NAR-compliant framework we already had in place made this an easy decision,” said NorthstarMLS President & CEO Tim Dain. “Our subscribers will benefit from a governance framework designed to help optimize their view of our local marketplace and evolve to meet industry and regulatory changes.”

The Model MLS Rules are optional and intended for use by MLSs seeking a clearer, more organized, and adaptable rules structure. NorthstarMLS’s action offers an early example of how an MLS can modernize its rules while maintaining local control and preserving market-specific practices.

About CMLS

The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) is the trade association for 241 Multiple Listing Services, serving over 1.7 million combined subscribers across North America, and 83 business partners, whose mission is to champion the value of Multiple Listing Service through advocacy, best practices, and education. CMLS is committed to championing an efficient, transparent, and competitive North American real estate marketplace that runs on a thriving Multiple Listing Service industry. For more information, please visit cmls.org.

About NorthstarMLS

NorthstarMLS provides multiple listing services, technology solutions and market insights to real estate professionals across the Upper Midwest, including a majority of Minnesota and parts of Western Wisconsin and North Dakota. In 2025, the organization provided real estate professionals access to more than 97,000 listings, facilitating over 75,000 real estate transactions and contributing nearly $30.4 billion to the regional economy. NorthstarMLS is committed to innovation, data accuracy and delivering tools that help brokers and agents succeed in a competitive real estate marketplace.

For more information, please read the communication that we sent out on Monday, June 1. If you have any questions, please contact our Rules and Regulations team at rules@northstarmls.com or 651-251-3210.